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Barcelona captain Lionel Messi has explained his angry rant on Instagram in the wake of Luis Suarez’s departure from the club.
The 33-year-old lashed out on social media after seeing his close friend and strike partner head off to Atletico Madrid after seven hugely successful years at the Camp Nou.
Messi wrote that Suarez “deserved to leave like what you are: one of the most important players in club history” and not be “kicked out” out of the club. The Argentine finished off with “but the truth is that at this point I’m no longer surprised.”
The club captain has now given an interview to Sport’s Albert Masnou where he revealed what he was thinking when at the time.
“I said what I felt in what was a tough moment. I understand people may have thought I should have shut up or let it go, as I did on many other occasions, but a lot of things hurt me in the last few weeks & it was my way of expressing that.”
Messi also used the interview to call for unity at Barcelona “after so many disagreements” and to move on from what has been a chaotic year on and off the pitch for the Catalan giants.
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Messi Doing His Best For Barcelona
Messi has made his frustrations at Barcelona clear in recent months but says everything he has done for the club has been for the best.
“We have to leave our differences to one side. I take responsibility for my mistakes and, if there were any, they were to make FC Barcelona better and stronger.
“But that’s it now, it’s passed, we have to focus on doing our best and achieving what we want to achieve together, as a team and as supporters: uniting passion, excitement and motivation will be the only way to achieve our objectives, always united and pulling in the same.”
The Argentine scored in Barcelona’s first game of the season on Sunday, netting a penalty in a 4-0 victory over Villarreal. He will lead the team out again on Thursday against Celta Vigo.
Messi has 11 goals in his last 16 La Liga appearances against Celta but will know that Barcelona have not managed a league win at Balaidos since 2015.
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